This may read as a bit of déjà vu, for the simple fact that I wrote a staggeringly similar post this time last year. At that time, Greg Bird was on the disabled list (with his return very much up in the air), Chris Carter had been DFA’d a second time, and first base was being rotated between Ji-Man Choi, Austin Romine, and Garrett Cooper. That would change with the acquisition of Todd Frazier – who was discussed as a trade target – which forced Chase Headley over to first. And the problem was (mostly) solved.

Today, the problem is a bit different. Bird is (probably) healthy, but he’s simply not performing at a level that is acceptable for a first baseman. As of this writing he is batting .207/.322/.421 with a 103 wRC+, which places him 30th among first baseman with at least 100 plate appearances this year – and that’s not what you want from a position with such a high baseline for offense; especially when that player is a left-handed power bat in a righty-heavy lineup.

Now, to be fair, Bird hasn’t been atrocious, so making a move is more of a luxury than a necessity. Moreover, I don’t see the Yankees making a move for a long-term fit at first, given Bird’s potential and the simple fact that they have players that could move to first in the future (Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton, for example). For this, I’m only going to look at potential rentals. Here’s the list of free agents to be, courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors:

Matt Adams, Washington Nationals

Lucas Duda, Kansas City Royals

David Freese, Pittsburgh Pirate

Marwin Gonzalez, Houston Astros

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

Logan Morrison (mutual option), Minnesota Twins

Mike Moustakas (mutual option), Kansas City Royals

Steve Pearce, Boston Red Sox

Mark Reynolds, Washington Nationals

Danny Valencia, Baltimore Orioles

Gonzalez can be ruled out as the Astros aren’t going to be selling (and they probably wouldn’t want to help the Yankees, either). Mauer has a full no-trade clause, and is the face of the Twins franchise, so I don’t see him being moved. And Pearce was recently acquired by the Red Sox, so that’s the end of that. That leaves us with:

Matt Adams

Will the Nationals sell? It seems a bit doubtful, considering their payroll, talent level, and proximity to the playoff race – but Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Gio Gonzalez, Kelvin Herrera, and Ryan Madson will all be free agents at season’s end, and Max Scherzer will be 34 in a few weeks, so it could make sense. They may need to reevaluate sooner rather than later. And, as a team with several holes, moving one of their two walk year first basemen (Reynolds being the other) could make sense.

Adams is currently slashing .290/.362/.557, good for a 146 wRC+, and he has 13 HR in just 196 PA. He’s generally ineffective against lefties (career 62 wRC+), so he’s been platooned more often than not in his career – but that’s not really a problem when you can hit righties like he does (career 127 wRC+, and a 157 wRC+ this year). And having Brandon Drury and/or Tyler Austin around makes a platoon more palatable.

It is worth noting that Adams hasn’t been a portrait of health. He missed about three weeks with a foot injury this year, and has dealt with knee, quadriceps, and hamstring injuries throughout his career. I don’t know that any of those injuries are truly nagging, but they do crop up every so often.

Lucas Duda

Duda hasn’t been all that good with the Royals this year; in fact, he’s been worse than Bird, with a .240/.303/.410 line that translates to a 94 wRC+. He also has a disconcerting injury history of his own, including a six-week stint on the DL that ran from mid-May through late-June. And he’s hitting .200/.268/.440 since returning.

As was the case with Adams, Duda is probably best utilized in a platoon. He has a 120 wRC+ against righties this year, and a 132 for his career; those numbers are 35 and 80, respectively, against southpaws.

David Freese

Freese is basically an offensive metronome, posting a wRC+ between 100 and 108 in each of the previous five seasons. He’s currently batting .264/.321/.410 (97 wRC+), and has been splitting his time between first and third when he’s in the field. And he’s passable at both positions, giving him a nice bit of genuine versatility.

That being said, Freese is a right-handed hitter, and not a legitimate power threat, so his fit isn’t ideal.

Logan Morrison

Let’s get this out of the way: Morrison is kind of a dolt. He complained about Sanchez’s inclusion in the Home Run Derby last year, and he was rightfully mocked for it. In an ideal world, that’d be water under the bridge.

Unfortunately, Morrison has followed-up his breakout 2017 with a horrific 2018. He’s batting .193/.288/.359 with 10 HR (78 wRC+) in 295 PA, and that doesn’t move the needle at all.

Mike Moustakas

It wasn’t all that long ago that some Yankees fans were wondering if Moustakas could end up in pinstripes. They were in need of a third baseman and left-handed power, both of which fit their needs at the time, and his market was practically non-existent, which may’ve fit their budget. Moustakas ended up staying put, though, for the bargain basement prices of $5.5 MM.

Moustakas is currently batting .251/.306/.460 (104 wRC+), with 17 HR in 372 PA. That’s basically right in-line with his 2017, albeit with a bit less power, and is probably a reasonable expectation going forward. His glove at first is a question mark, as he only has 35 innings there as a professional, all of which have come this year. Moustakas is a solid defender at third, though, so it stands to reason that he’d be more than fine at the easier position.

Mark Reynolds

Reynolds spent about two months in pinstripes back in 2013, when he slashed .236/.300/.455 (106 wRC+) in 120 PA. That’s a fairly good summary of his career as a whole, though for whatever reason he stopped walking with the Yankees – his career BB% is 11.3% (10.3% in 2018), as compared to 6.7% in the Bronx. But I digress.

He’s currently tearing the cover off the ball for the Nationals, slashing .297/.370/.595 (155 wRC+) with 10 HR in 127 PA. Reynolds has worked as the short side of a platoon with Adams for much of this year, but he’s actually been better against righties (165 wRC+) than lefties (140). He’s also played a bit of third base (12.2 innings) for the first time since 2015.

Reynolds may not be a lefty, but he has the sort of power that plays anywhere.

Danny Valencia

Valencia has played third base more than anything else so far this year, but he was the Mariners first baseman for most of 2017. He’s hitting .252/.314/.431 (99 wRC+), which is fairly close to his .256/.314/.411 line (95 wRC+) from last season. And that’s pretty much who he is as a player. He walks at an average-ish rate, has average-ish pop, and strikes out at an average-ish rate. He also can’t really hit righties, as evidenced by his career 84 wRC+ against same-handed pitchers. That’s not going to cut it.

Adams would make the most sense, as a lefty that’s appreciably better than Bird, but I don’t know what the Nationals will do. Beyond him, Duda, Morrison, and Moustakas aren’t clear upgrades offensively, and Freese, Reynolds, and Valencia might not be better than in-house options like Austin or Drury.

If the Yankees are going to make a move for a first baseman, it seems as though the rental market isn’t the place to go for an upgrade. And looking through these players makes me feel at least marginally better about Bird’s lack of production.

The Yankees and Rays will continue their three-game series with the middle game later this afternoon. Here are some links and notes to check out in the meantime.

Yankees pursued Watson over the winter

According to Joel Sherman, the Yankees tried to sign left-hander Tony Watson during the offseason. He instead signed a luxury tax friendly two-year deal worth $9M guaranteed with the Giants. The veteran left-hander has a 1.82 ERA (1.76 FIP) with 29.6% strikeouts and 44.2% grounders in 34.2 innings this year. He’s a full inning southpaw, not a left-on-left matchup guy.

This is pretty interesting to me. The Yankees were trying to beef up their bullpen even more and they were apparently ready to cut Chasen Shreve loose. Hard to see how both would’ve fit in the Opening Day bullpen. The Giants are hanging around the postseason race at the moment, but if San Francisco slips in the standings these next few weeks, I wonder whether the Yankees would pursue Watson at the trade deadline. Intrigue!

Yankees reached out to Giambi about role in organization

Over the winter the Yankees reached out to Jason Giambi to gauge his interest in joining the organization, according to Brendan Kuty. Giambi didn’t specify what sort of position was discussed, though he did say he was not interested in the managerial opening because he has young kids and doesn’t want that much of a commitment. “I think they kind of tested to see where I was at and I just said I wasn’t ready,” he said.

Giambi, now 47, retired following the 2014 season and his name seems to pop up as a managerial or coaching candidate every winter. I’ve always wondered whether he is actually a candidate for those gigs, or are reporters just talking up a guy who was cool with the media as a player? The Yankees reaching out to Giambi over the winter pretty much confirms that he is indeed a candidate for those types of jobs. Wouldn’t surprise me to see the two sides touch base again in the future.

Kay close to new contract with YES

Michael Kay and the YES Network are close to finishing a new contract, reports Andrew Marchand. It’s a three-year deal worth seven figures a season, and it includes a network option for two more years. With Vin Scully retired, Kay is believed the be the highest paid local play-by-play man in baseball. “I don’t see any end in sight. I want to keep doing this as long as I want to and as long as they want me to,” he said to Marchand.

The new contract means Kay will be the voice of the Yankees through at least 2021 and potentially through 2023. My hot take for the weekend: Kay is one of the top play-by-play guys in the sport. Thanks to the magic of MLB.tv, I’ve listened to every broadcast team in recent years, and Kay is better than most. He can get a little annoying when he goes into radio show mode, but he’s good overall. Interestingly enough, Marchand says Ryan Ruocco could see more time in the booth going forward.

YES trying to woo Singleton back

More YES Network news. According to Marchand, YES Network executives are trying to persuade Ken Singleton to return next season. Singleton has already announced he will retire following this season. Marchand says YES is offering Singleton a reduced schedule heavy on games in Baltimore and Tampa, where he has homes. “It’s flattering (YES) wants me to come back … I found out as a player, nobody is irreplaceable. The game keeps going on,” he said.

I love Singleton. He’s one of my favorite broadcasters ever. I love his insight and I love his stories. As much as I’d love to see him stick around and call games forever and ever, Singleton turned 71 last week, and if the man wants to retire, let him retire. He’s been doing this a very long time and I don’t blame him at all for wanting to skip the road trips and the late nights, and spend more time with his family. It’s not like the YES Network is short on broadcasters, you know?

The Yankees and Royals continue their three-game series later today — the Yankees haven’t played back-to-back days since last weekend due to all the off-days and rainouts — though it’s a 7:15pm ET start, so we have to wait a few hours first. Here are some notes to help you pass the time.

Harper shoots down Yankees questions

As expected, Bryce Harper was asked about his impending free agency and the possibility of signing with the Yankees after the season when the Yankees visiting Washington earlier this week. And, not surprisingly, Harper wouldn’t entertain those questions. What else could he do? Here’s what Harper said, via Greg Joyce:

“I’m a National now,” Harper said. “We’re going into this series trying to win some ballgames. It’s the only thing on my mind, trying to beat a good team over there.”

…

“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing,” Harper said. “If it’s the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies, name it. It doesn’t really matter the team or the atmosphere, just try to go in there and win ballgames.”

I’ve seen some “the Yankees don’t need Harper because they have Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton” takes recently and, uh, no. The Yankees could cut ties with Brett Gardner after the season — this is the final guaranteed season on Gardner’s contract — which frees up a spot for Harper. Harper, Judge, Stanton share the two corner outfield spots and DH. See how easy that is?

Now, will the Yankees actually pony up the $400-something million that will likely be required to sign Harper? As I’ve said before, I don’t believe Hal Steinbrenner’s master plan is spending like crazy once the luxury tax rate resets, but I’d be happy to be wrong. And even then, would anyone be surprised if the Yankees opted to pursue Manny Machado or Clayton Kershaw over Harper this winter? I know Harper grew up a Yankees fan, but I seriously doubt that means he’s willing to give them a discount.

Mesa brothers leave Cuba to pursue MLB contracts

According to Jesse Sanchez, outfielders and brothers Victor Mesa Jr. and Victor Victor Mesa have left Cuba to pursue MLB contracts. They are the sons of Victor Mesa Sr., a legendary player and manager in Cuba. Victor Victor is 21 while Victor Jr. is only 16. Both will be subject to the international spending restrictions once they are cleared to sign, a process that should take several weeks.

Victor Victor is the more highly regarded prospect and, according to Ben Badler (subs. req’d), he has “star potential” and is comparable to Nationals top prospect Victor Robles. “If (Victor Victor) were in the draft next month, I think he would be a top 10 overall pick, with the potential to go No. 1 overall,” added Badler. There’s very little information out there about Victor Jr. at the moment, though he is not the same caliber prospect as his older brother.

Giambi to attend Old Timers’ Day

Jason Giambi, Old Timer. According to George King, Giambi will make his Old Timers’ Day debut this summer. He retired following the 2014 season and has mostly laid low since, though he seems to get mentioned as a coaching or managerial candidate every offseason. Old Timers’ Day is June 17th this season. That’s the day before the Yankees go to Washington for the makeup games.

Giambi, now 47, played for the Yankees from 2002-08 and was really productive, hitting .260/.404/.521 (145 wRC+) while averaging 29 homers and +3.1 WAR per season. I wonder if this paves the way for Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens to show up to Old Timers’ Day? They were all tied to performance-enhancing drugs in one way or another, after all. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

MLB proposed new All-Star Game voting system

According to Joel Sherman, MLB recently proposed a new All-Star Game fan voting system that was shot down by the MLBPA. Under the new rules fans would’ve continued to vote for the starters at each position, though there would’ve been two steps in the process. First, fans would vote for all players. Then, at a certain date, the vote would end and the top three vote-getters at each position would be put into a second vote. Since it was rejected, All-Star voting this year will be the same as always.

The idea, obviously, would be spicing up the All-Star Game voting, and create more buzz on social media and whatnot. The union, which is still rather annoyed about the way free agency played out over the winter, wanted bonus money and a piece of the revenue generated from the voting process. MLB offered a $1.1M bonus pool to be divvied up among the top three vote-getters at each position only. The new voting process seems kinda neat. I also get whey the union wants a piece of the revenue.

Later tonight the Yankees will look to complete the three-game sweep of the Red Sox and win their ninth straight game overall. They already have one nine-game winning streak this season. Now they’re one win away from a second nine-game winning streak, and it’s only May 10th. Pretty awesome. Here are some links and notes to check out prior to first pitch.

Yankees tried to get Gregorius through Rangers

During a recent YES Network interview (video link), Brian Cashman said that during the 2014-15 offseason, the Yankees tried to get Didi Gregorius through multiple teams in a three-team trade, including the Rangers. Cashman couldn’t find a direct match with the Diamondbacks, so the Yankees engaged other teams and basically said “if you can get us Didi, we’ll give you Shane Greene.” The Rangers, who wanted Greene, couldn’t make it work but the Tigers did.

Gregorius, even while mired in an 0-for-18 slump, is currently hitting .291/.382/.622 (159 wRC+) with ten home runs this season. He’s emerged as a true heart and soul player for the Yankees. At this point, no matter what happens from here on out, I think it’s safe to say the Gregorius deal will go down as one of Cashman’s best trades. Doesn’t matter whether they got him from the Tigers or Rangers or straight from the D’Backs. Didi replaced Derek Jeter seamlessly and he quickly became a cornerstone player on a contending team.

Keith Law (subs. req’d) was at last night’s game and said Loaisiga has “taken a big step forward” since he saw him last year. From Law:

Loaisiga pitched at 94-96 mph in his five-inning outing, with some downhill plane to it, and even bumped a single 97. His slider was sharp at 85-87, and he threw a more curveball-shaped breaker at 82. He’d been mostly curveball last year, so I think these are two distinct pitches, with the slider either new or just massively improved … His changeup came in at 86-89 and some had splitter-like bottom, while others turned over more like a straight change, but all three pitches were comfortably above-average and flashing plus … There are some reasons to question his ultimate role, including the delivery and his size, but that’s a starter’s arsenal and more than enough feel and control right now to project him there.

The Yankees signed Loaisiga out of a tryout camp a few years ago, after the Giants released him due to injuries, and he’s since overcome Tommy John surgery to work his way onto the 40-man roster. I think Loaisiga has top 100 prospect caliber stuff, though his injury history may keep him off the midseason lists, which is fine. Who cares. Prospect lists mean nothing anyway. Loaisiga is legit though. What a find by the Yankees.

23. Triston Casas, 1B, American Heritage School, Plantation, Fla.It’s sounding like the Yankees want to go after a hitter at No. 23. The major league team currently has some of the biggest sluggers in baseball so maybe they’ll try and replicate the success of Aaron Judge with Triston Casas, who has an imposing frame, a patient approach and serious raw power. Georgia catcher Anthony Seigler might start to be in play in this range as well, as scouting director Damon Oppenheimer has seen him multiple times.

Baseball America had the Yankees selecting Casas in their previous mock draft as well, though that was released several months ago as an early draft preview. The interesting nugget here is the Yankees apparently want a position player in the first round. For what it’s worth, former Yankees staffer Kiley McDaniel said in a recent chat he’s also heard the Yankees want a bat. Hmmm.

The farm system is heavy on pitching right now, though I doubt the Yankees are looking to draft for need in the first round. Hard to project what you’ll need three or four years down the line, you know? Assuming this reports are true, chances are the Yankees just like the available position player talent more than the available pitching talent in the weeks leading up to the draft.

Over the weekend the Mets made headlines when they cut ties with Matt Harvey, their former ace, and designated him for assignment rather than continue to try to get him right. Harvey allowed 21 runs in 27 innings before being designated, and since coming back from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery last year, he has a 6.77 ERA (6.22 FIP) in 119.2 innings. Egads.

There is only one way this ends: Harvey will become a free agent. The Mets have until Sunday to trade, release, or waive him, but I highly doubt a team will trade something for him when they know he’ll be a free agent within a week. Either the Mets will release Harvey, or he’ll clear waivers — a near certainty given him $5.625M salary — and he’ll elect free agency. He’ll be a free agent able to sign with any team for the pro-rated league minimum.

Harvey, 29, refused a Triple-A stint before being designated. That is his collectively bargained right as a player with more than five years of service time. Whichever team signs Harvey will likely want him to make a few minor league tune-up starts, and agent Scott Boras indicated to Joel Sherman that Harvey is willing to pitch in the minors for another team despite refusing to do so with the Mets.

“(The Mets) wanted him to pitch in the minors. We agreed that was not the best situation to work again on a Major League level as a starter,” said Boras to Sherman. “Going into a new organization you can map out an approach. Once you are sent to the minors by the Mets, they have total control of how long you are there. There is no forecast. It is, ‘We will see how you do.'”

Given who he is and what he’s accomplished in his career — Harvey was a legitimate ace-caliber pitcher from 2012-15 — and the fact the Yankees could are in perpetual need of more pitching, it’s only natural to wonder whether Harvey could land in the Bronx. Don’t count on it though. Brendan Kuty hears it’s not going to happen. “Don’t bet on it,” heard Kuty from a source. Yeah. There are likely two reasons the Yankees won’t aggressively pursue Harvey.

1. He’s simply isn’t any good these days. Sad but true. Injuries have sabotaged Harvey’s career. He had Tommy John surgery and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery, two procedures that are bad on their own, and nearly impossible to recover from when combined. Chris Carpenter is pretty much the only guy who’s come back from both surgeries to have success. Luke Hochevar had the same surgeries at the same time as Harvey and has yet resume pitching.

Harvey threw 216 innings during the Mets’ run to the World Series in 2015, the most ever by a pitcher in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. Since the start of 2016, he has a 5.93 ERA (5.02 FIP) with 17.1% strikeouts and 8.5% walks in 212.1 innings. Pretty crummy. Yes, Harvey is very naturally talented, but the injuries have made him unable to do the things he once did. There’s not much reason to believe the old Harvey is coming back after those injuries.

2. He comes with off-the-field baggage. Fair or not, the perception is Harvey’s a headache. He’s had a few off-the-field incidents — nothing serious like an arrest, he’s just a party guy — and it’s a distraction. Harvey went to a restaurant opening in Los Angeles when the Mets were in San Diego last week and it became a Very Big Deal. This is the way Harvey is covered. Everything is presented in a negative light and it hangs over the team.

Those headaches are something teams are willing to deal with when a guy is pitching like an ace. When he’s throwing batting practice like Harvey, it’s no longer worth it. The Mets know him better than anyone — they know his personality, his health, his work ethic, all that — and they decided to simply cut their losses and dump their erstwhile ace. An unceremonious end to what was a very exciting time in Flushing. The Yankees have a great thing going right now and they don’t want to bring in anyone who could disrupt the clubhouse.

* * *

Domingo German was great yesterday afternoon, but there’s no such thing as too much pitching, and the Yankees could use another starter with Montgomery out. Harvey is a big name and he does have pedigree, but injuries (moreso than the off-the-field stuff) have turned him into a shell of what he once was. It sucks. Baseball is cruel. Some team will sign him — an NL team with a big park always makes sense in these situation — because guys like Harvey always get second and third and fourth chances.

Keep in mind Harvey has a say in this process too, and while he grew up a Yankees fan in Connecticut, attempting to rebuild value in Yankee Stadium probably isn’t the best move at this point of his career. A non-contender in a big park who can run him out there every five days and let him take his lumps is the best spot for him. There is no such thing as a bad minor league contract and hey, maybe the Yankees will sign Harvey anyway. It just seems the potential reward isn’t very high at this point, and the potential headaches just aren’t worth it.

Later tonight the Yankees and Angels will continue their three-game series in Anaheim. West Coast night games stink. West Coast night games on a Saturday stink even more. Oh well. What can you do? Here are some links and notes to check out while you’re waiting for tonight’s game.

Still no contract talks with Didi

According to Jon Heyman, there have still been no contract extension talks between the Yankees and Didi Gregorius. Gregorius said he is open to a long-term deal earlier this month, though signing him now would complicate the luxury tax plan. This is something the Yankees will have to revisit in the offseason. “Didi wants to be a Yankee,” said one Yankees source to Heyman, for what it’s worth.

The luxury tax plan means an extension won’t happen during the season — because the regular season has started, signing Didi now would result in his 2018 salary being recalculated for luxury tax purposes, which means it’ll increase — and, frankly, this isn’t the best time to discuss an extension. Gregorius has had a monster start to the season and he has all the leverage. After season, once his numbers inevitably come back to Earth a bit, the Yankees will be in better position to negotiate a deal that is sensible for both sides.

Yankees pursued Gleyber as an amateur

Way back in the day the Yankees pursued Gleyber Torres as an international free agent out of Venezuela, reports Ken Rosenthal (subs. req’d), but he wound up signing with the Cubs. Chicago beat the Yankees to the punch, secured a commitment, and hid Torres at their complex until the signing period opened. Standard procedure in Latin America. Gleyber received a $1.7M bonus. The Yankees’ top signing that signing period was outfielder Leonardo Molina at $1.4M.

“Players you want in the draft who you don’t get, players you want internationally who you don’t get, it’s hard to let them go. They’re always in the back of your mind,” said Brian Cashman. The Yankees continued to have Gleyber on their radar after he started his pro career, and when it came time to talk Aroldis Chapman trade with the Cubs, Cashman “locked in” on Torres, according to Rosenthal. It took a little longer than they’d hoped, but the Yankees did eventually get their man.

Yankees have their eye on Corbin

Corbin. (Christian Petersen/Getty)

Earlier this week Diamondbacks southpaw and impending free agent Patrick Corbin made some headlines with his effusive praise for the Yankees, and according to Heyman, the feeling is mutual. The Yankees have their eye on the southpaw leading up to free agency. The D’Backs are in the first place and figure to stay in the race all summer, so a trade deadline deal is presumably a non-option. The Corbin pursuit will have to wait for the winter.

“His fastball is back, his slider is better than ever and he’s an uber-athletic and competitive guy, which is the kind of guy to bet on,” said one scout to Heyman. The Yankees reportedly pursued Corbin this past offseason, so it’s no surprise they have their eye on him for free agency. Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are the big free agent names, understandably, but the Yankees will probably need pitching more than another bat. We’ll see what happens after the season. I suspect we’re in for many more Yankees/Corbin rumors in the coming weeks and months.

Lind’s contract details

The Yankees re-signed Adam Lind to a new minor league contract last week, and now we know the terms. According to Bob Nightengale, Lind will make $2M at the big league level, and he can opt-out of his deal on May 1st, June 1st, and July 1st if he’s not on the MLB roster. That first opt-out is only four days away. Lind has played a handful of games with High-A Tampa since signing. I imagine he’ll move up Triple-A Scranton soon.

Despite Greg Bird’s injury, first base has been a strength this season, mostly because Tyler Austin is hitting .290/.362/.629 (167 wRC+) in the early going. Couldn’t have asking him for more. Hopefully he keeps it up. Bird is on the rehab trail following ankle surgery and is expected back within a few weeks. It seems like Lind is first base insurance in case Bird suffers a setback or Austin gets hurt. Otherwise I’m not sure there’s a path to playing time. Replacing Neil Walker with a first base only guy is really going to limit the bench and roster flexibility.

MLB researched 154-game season

According to Jayson Stark (subs. req’d), MLB performed “extensive background research” on shortening the season to 154 games in advance of the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement talks. The MLBPA didn’t push for a shorter season as hard as expected, however. “Basically, eight teams wouldn’t do it. They said, ‘We can’t make up all those lost gates or all the TV revenue. So you need to make us whole,'” said one MLB source to Stark.

Trimming the season from 162 games to 154 games would help the league avoid some nasty weather in April and November, but it would also mean each team loses four revenue-generating home games. I assume the Yankees and other big market clubs like the Dodgers, Cubs, and Red Sox are among the eight teams that objected to a shorter schedule. Four games is only 5% of the home schedule, but it does equal millions of dollars. Perhaps the solution is tweaking the revenue sharing formula and making the revenue up that way? Not sure. The MLBPA is expected to push hard for a return to a 154-game schedule in the future.

Over the winter the Yankees looked high and low for pitching help, and since they came up empty, the pitching search will continue in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. The search for pitching never ends, really. The pitching has been great the last few days and the rotation still has a 4.30 ERA (3.96 FIP). There’s room for improvement for sure.

The 28-year-old Corbin is a native New Yorker from up near Syracuse, and during a recent chat with Bob Nightengale, he sure made it sound like he’d welcome a chance to pitch for the Yankees. From Nightengale:

“It would definitely be great to play there,” Corbin says. “I grew up a Yankee fan. My whole family are Yankee fans. My mom, my dad, my grandpa, everybody. Really, every generation of my family has been Yankee fans.

…

“I know the Yankees have had some interest in the past, and there were a lot of rumors this winter that got my family excited,” Corbin says. “It would have been cool. You just want to go where you’re wanted, and every team will have an opportunity.

Corbin added the obligatory “I want to play for a contender” and “I’m just focusing on this season” comments as well. The D’Backs have not yet approached him about a contract extension according to Nightengale, though I’m sure that’ll happen at some point this summer. Point is, a very good pitcher said some things that could indicate he wants to play for the Yankees, and that’s worth discussing. Let’s talk this out.

1. Corbin’s breakout started last year. It actually started back in 2013, when he was an All-Star and threw 208.1 innings with a 3.41 ERA (3.43 FIP). His elbow gave out the following Spring Training and he needed Tommy John surgery, and it took him some time to get back up to speed. Last season Corbin was mediocre in the first half (4.71 ERA and 4.25 FIP) and much better in the second half (3.27 ERA and 3.87 FIP). That second half success has carried over to this season.

Corbin told Nightengale he has been tinkering with his trademark slider — “I don’t think I’ve seen a slider like that since Steve Carlton. I mean, it just disappears,” said Giants assistant hitting coach Rick Schu to Nightengale — mostly by varying the shape and velocity. He’s also throwing it much more often. Look at this:

I doubt Corbin is a true talent sub-2.00 ERA/sub-2.00 FIP pitcher like he has been this year. But he’s been a successful big league pitcher, and it’s not crazy to think a 28-year-old who has learned some new tricks with his slider may’ve taken his game to the next level. Lefties who can get strikeouts (21.7% from 2016-18) and grounders (52.1% from 2016-18) fit well in Yankee Stadium.

2. It’s cool he’s a Yankees fan. But who cares? This is one of the most overplayed talking points. Unless Corbin is willing to take a discount to come to the Yankees — who’s the last player to take a discount to sign with his childhood team? — the fact he grew up a Yankees fan is meaningless. Gerrit Cole grew up a Yankees fan too, they threw gobs of money at him, and he still didn’t sign with them out of the draft.

If Corbin signs with the Yankees as a free agent after the season, it’ll be because they make a strong competitive offer, and because Corbin believes they’re the best fit for him and his family. That’s it. He’s not going to make an eight-figure (nine-figure?) life decision based on his childhood rooting interests. As far as I’m concerned, Corbin growing up a Yankees fan means nothing. The Yankees can’t proceed as if it gives them some sort of free agent advantage.

3. A midseason trade is extremely unlikely. Why? Because the D’Backs are good and Corbin is their best pitcher. Arizona sits in first place in the NL West at 15-6 and they went to the postseason last year, remember. They were on a 101-win pace even before the J.D. Martinez trade. Maybe outlasting the Dodgers all season won’t happen. But the D’Backs are very good and there is every reason to believe they will be in the postseason race all season.

It would take a collapse — or an offer they can’t refuse — for the D’Backs to consider trading Corbin at the deadline. In fact, in the wake of the Taijuan Walker injury, Arizona is more more likely to add pitching at midseason than subtract it. Corbin’s been great and he would be a very welcome addition to the Yankees. It just doesn’t seem all that realistic that he’ll be made available at the trade deadline. The D’Backs are trying to win too. This is a conversation we’ll have to revisit in the offseason, assuming Corbin becomes a free agent and doesn’t sign an extension.